It is known to provide deployable coverings for vehicle cargo areas, for example for the cargo areas of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), hatchbacks, etc. Such cargo or tonneau covers provide utility in hiding items held in the vehicle cargo area from view, reducing the likelihood of theft. Additionally, tonneau covers serve to protect items held in the cargo area from, e.g., direct sunlight.
Conventional tonneau covers are typically provided as a separate roll-type shade or covering associated with a deploying/retracting mechanism, attached to the rear of a vehicle second or third seat row seatback. The tonneau cover is stored in and deployed from a roll, typically defining a width dimension that substantially matches the width of the vehicle cargo area. The mechanism for deploying/retracting the tonneau cover is typically similar to that used in retractable seat belts or roll-type shades, and does not require extensive description herein. To deploy, the user need only grasp the exposed end of the tonneau cover, or a handle associated with that end, and pull. A detent mechanism may be provided to prevent the cover from inadvertently retracting until the user so desires. Alternatively or additionally, a hook or other retainer may be provided in the vehicle cargo area to hold the tonneau cover in a desired deployed orientation.
Such conventional cargo covers are effective for their intended purpose, but suffer from certain disadvantages. Because the tonneau roll and deploying/retracting mechanism are provided as a unit for attachment to a seatback rear, typically a gap through which items in the cargo area may be seen is defined between the tonneau cover assembly and the vehicle seatback. This is particularly evident when the seatback is translated to the fully upright position. This is because with conventional cargo cover assemblies used in combination with reclining seatbacks, it is necessary to position the cargo cover assembly to account for a reclined position of the seatback, leaving a gap between the cargo cover assembly and the seatback. This gap disadvantageously creates a section of the cargo area C that is uncovered, particularly when the seatback is in the fully upright position, and a portion of the vehicle cargo area is often undesirably exposed.
To solve this and other problems, the present disclosure relates to a tonneau cover assembly for a vehicle cargo area. The described tonneau cover assembly includes a biasing mechanism that prevents creation of a gap between the assembly and a vehicle seatback with which the assembly is associated.